Good morning from Memphis, where actor/comedian Ed Helms of "The Hangover" fame has a message for voters. But first...

Shelby County should be ashamed of itself.

To sum up this bombshell report from our Sarah Macaraeg, the county first incarcerates some of its poorest citizens — giving itself a literally captive customer base — then charges them and their families higher-than-normal phone rates in addition to a $3 fee to deposit funds in inmate accounts electronically or $5.95 over the phone.

In other words, the county is profiting off of the misery of the poor, taking in about $1 million a year in phone revenue alone, splitting the profits with its phone provider.

One of the saddest things about this story is that Shelby County's call rate of 10 cents a minute is actually on the low end of the national spectrum, although still double what people pay in Nashville's Davidson County. Shelby even has a higher rate than Texas (6 cents). Texas! You know it's bad when Texas is more compassionate than you.

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NiQuétta Baldridge talks about the high cost of keeping in touch with her daughter who’s been awaiting trial since August 2017.
Memphis Commercial Appeal

But the story doesn't stop there. Sarah goes deep into the many ways the county profits off of its detainees. Phone charges make up just 1.8 percent of those revenues.

Don't get me wrong: It's not that inmates should get a free ride. Phones cost money, and it's only fair that people who use the phones should have to pay the county something. As Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer told Sarah, the problem is that the county is using a monopoly on basic services to squeeze the poor and get a financial windfall.

"It's an urgent issue for me," Sawyer said. "It's one thing to charge the cost of a call. It's another thing for people to make money off another person's misfortune."

“I was in the process of reshaping the way I saw the world, redefining who I was as a man,” he says. “To have the ability to call home … I didn’t feel so disconnected.”

For Brown, access to the phone meant he could teach his oldest son how to tie his first tie; be there for his mom and then-girlfriend, Vinessa, who both found themselves in chemotherapy during Brown’s incarceration; and support his little sister as she made her way to high school graduation.

“It provides hope,” he says of phone access, “and prisons are places that are hopeless.”

But there's a silver lining: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says he's open to changing the system, as do other commissioners. And Harris was already aware of the benefits:

“We know when inmates stay connected to their families there is a greater chance they will stay out of prison once released,” Harris says, alluding to numerous studies that show that strong family relationships are a key factor in a person’s ability to successfully re-enter society after serving time.

If you tuned in to MSNBC's "All in with Chris Hayes" last night, you might have seen some familiar faces: Journalist Trymaine Lee interviewed nine black women from Memphis about the expanding role of women in politics locally and nationally.

"Ten years ago, the people of Memphis voted to give the voters more power and to hold the politicians more accountable," Helms said in the video. "Guess what? Big surprise — politicians don’t like it. So now they’re trying to ban instant runoff voting, also known as IRV. I don’t think Elvis would have stood for that.”

In an exclusive interview with the Catholic TV show "World Over," Holley says the decision to fire him was "laden with racism, privilege." And he also responded to the concerns about his unpopular decision to shuffle the parishes' pastors. He also explained how he was told in an airport that "the Holy Father wants you to resign," and that the reason named was his controversial appointment of Rev. Monsignor Clement J. Machado to the high-ranking post of vicar general of the diocese.

Brooks Museum continues listening tour

To that end, the museum is hosting "listening sessions" across the city — including in the Orange Mound and East Memphis areas this Saturday. From the announcement:

These public engagement sessions will be held at Novel Memphis (387 Perkins Extended) from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and at JUICE Orange Mound (850 Hanley Avenue) from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

NBC's The Voice contestant Keith Paluso, speaks at the 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Thursday November 1 at the Cannon Center For The Performing Arts.
Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal

Karen Brown sings "Until You Come Back To Me" during a tribute performance to Aretha Franklin at the 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Thursday November 1. Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal

Director Patrina Smith led The Associates choir during a tribute performance to O'Landa Draper Medley at the 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Thursday November 1 at the Cannon Center For The Performing Arts.
Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal

Members of the audience give a standing ovation to the The Associates choir led by Patrina Smith during a tribute performance to O'Landa Draper Medley at the 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Thursday November 1. Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal

Carla Thomas and William Bell sing "634-5789 " during a tribute performance to Eddie Floyd at the 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Thursday November 1. Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal

Brenda Franklin Corbett speaks about her cousin, Aretha Franklin,, at the 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal

Jordan Franklin speaks about his grandmother, Aretha Franklin, at the 2018 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal